EUREKA, Juab County — Residents in Eureka, Mammoth and Silver City in Juab County have been ordered to evacuate Friday night after two new wildfires merged into a blaze estimated at 20,000 acres.
Residents of those towns were ordered to head east on U.S. 6, according to the sheriff’s office.
A shelter was being established at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints meetinghouse in Elberta.
The new Cherry Fire
The Maple Peak Fire, which started on Maple Mountain west of the U.S. 6 rest stop, joined with the Cherry Fire, which started near Weiss Highway and Cherry Creek in Juab County, said Great Basin Incident Management Team spokesman Al Nash. The merged fire is now being called the Cherry Fire.
Officials have said they believe the original Maple Peak Fire was started by a lightning strike on Thursday night.
According to Utah Fire Info, several campsites are impacted and crews are working to evacuate campgrounds and RVs.
The Cherry Fire has been driven by wind, and extreme fire behavior has made it so that resources haven’t been able to hold the road system, according to Utah Fire Info.
Utah County Commissioner Skyler Beltran announced via Facebook on Friday night that a state of emergency had been declared in Utah County due to the fires.
Currently, Beltran said there is no threat to Utah County residents. The state of emergency decision was made before the Maple Creek Fire and Cherry Fire merged into one, Beltran said.
“Please be vigilant when towing, operating heavy equipment, using campfires and barbecues and discharging fireworks in sensitive areas,” Beltran’s post said. “Our firefighters are exhausted, our resources are stretched thin and we are in a very vulnerable position.”
Other fires
Several other new wildfires ignited across Utah on Friday, including in central Utah, adding to the growing number of acres burned.
At least 16 new fires have started in the last 24 hours, with more likely due to the red-flag warning for potentially dangerous conditions.
Here is a list of Utah’s latest wildfires:
- Sulphurdale Fire: The blaze started south of Cove Fort and I-70, and officials have not yet reported a known cause, according to Utah Fire Info. The fire was discovered on Friday and has burned about 2 acres, and is growing due to increasing winds.
Those traveling through the area are requested to stay alert for changing conditions and possible traffic restrictions should the fire approach I-70. The flames are near high-voltage power lines, I-70 and a geothermal power plant, according to Utah Fire Info.
- Farr West Fire, called in at 12:10 p.m. Friday in Weber County, blew flames into a residential home in an attic and started the attic on fire, said Britt Clark, chief with the Weber Fire District. It started as a brush fire.
Clark said the home is a total loss, though the homeowner and a dog got out of the home quickly. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
According to the Weber Fire District, three firefighters were treated on scene for heat-related injuries and were released.
- An unnamed fire that started Friday near Tintic Junction and state Route 36, west of Eureka, has closed the road.
- Another wildfire northwest of Fayette and south of Yuba Lake called the Rough Canyon Fire also ignited Friday, burning between 5 and 10 acres.
- Wild Goose Fire, east of Holden, started Friday in Millard County and by nighttime had grown to an estimated 400 acres, according to Utah Fire Info.
- Babylon Fire in San Juan County is estimated at 75 to 100 acres. According to Utah Fire Info, structures are threatened.
Additionally, the Bureau of Land Management in Utah has closed all BLM-managed lands west of U.S. 89 between Bullion Canyon Road, Marysvale and the southern Piute County border due to the Cottonwood Fire.
Residents in Marysville, Junction, and Circleville have all been told to be ready to evacuate at a moment’s notice due to active wildfires in the area, and conditions that could quickly change.
The North Creek area of Beaver is awaiting an evacuation call as increasing winds fuel the Cottonwood Fire.
As a safety precaution, Rocky Mountain Power announced that it had shut off power lines to Beaver, Garfield, Iron and Washington counties due to current and forecasted conditions. Southern and eastern Utah may see additional power shutoffs as conditions change. Rocky Mountain Power said these outages could last through Sunday and impact up to 18,000 customers.
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